DELMAR, N.Y. -- A little white spot on the nose of a bat may appear harmless. But it has wildlife pathologist Ward Stone and others at the state Department of Environmental Conservation wondering where it came from.
First spotted in New York it's called White Nose Syndrome and it’s one symptom of a huge bat die-off. Last winter, more than 8,000 bats with the ailment were found dead in Albany County caves. This year it's spreading. Cavers have spotted bats with the white noses as far north as Vermont, west as Cobleskill and even south of Kingston.
“This is very serious even if you don't like bats, they are important to controlling insect populations,” said Stone.
Stone has been tracking the bat deaths. He says thousands of bats that should be hibernating are staying awake longer and longer into the year and they're not able to find the insects they need to build up a fat supply for the long slumber.
“The bottom line, I think, is that we have the same kind of problem right now with these bats that we have up in the arctic with these polar bears. Climate changes are impacting them,” Stone said.
Although he admits he's not sure of where White Nose Syndrome comes from he said he believes it's is a culprit of weakened immune systems.
A mysterious disease is killing bats in the Northeast. And now the state DEC is trying to find out why. Our Mark Repasky has the story.
“When you find bats in a starvation state without the fungus and the fungus in most cases doesn't look like its significant to the bat. Those are indications that the fungus is not the cause of the overall problem,” said Stone.
But until they are sure the DEC and local caving groups are asking people to stay out of caves with bats until further notice. It’s both to avoid the spread of the disease and to prevent the bats from waking up and using extra energy.